16 pm
explained the shipping position up to date as reported
above, (apart from the Hong Kong telegrams mentioned in
the last paragraph), and invited the naval experts present
to express their views as to the Chinese fear of the entry
of Japanese destroyers inside the barrier with the object
of bombarding Canton. I prefaced my request with the wish
that any views expressed should be as given to His Majesty's
Government and therefore as favourable to defence and
unfavourable to the foreign (1.e. British) interests as
possible. Opinion was unanimous that, apart from the fact
that no first class naval authorities would risk ships in
such an enterprise, bombardment from Whampoa could result
only as described in paragraph 1 above; while no prudent
man would attempt to navigate a destroyer in narrow difficult
waters or I understood even in good waters. with a depth
less than twice his ship's "standard displacement" (which
are the figures given in "Jane's Fighting Ships"). In
order to obtain the figures for "actual displacement",
approximately one-third should be added to "standard
displacement" figures and a further two-thirds for safe
water under the propellers (which in destroyers are the
lowest and most vulnerable point).
(Note. The class of small Japánese destroyer now in South
China waters has a standard displacement of 7' 9". While
I have no paper handy for reference, I believe that this
class is the shallowest draught which could be made available).
14. This information more than confirmed Captain
Cunninghame Graham's earlier opinion, and convinced me that
restrictions on British shipping below a draught of 13 feet
and certainly of 11 feet would be wholly unreasonable, and
was of the greatest value to me (cf. Hong Kong telegram
No. 53 to Nanking, under reference in paragraph 12 above).
I
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